The Lord Howe Island Group is an outstanding place with extra-ordinary terrestrial and marine ecosystems. These natural values were formally recognised to be of global significance in 1982 when the Lord Howe Island Group was listed as a World Heritage Property under the World Heritage Convention. At the time, this was only the second listing in Australia, after the Great Barrier Reef. The significance of the island’s marine environment, the world’s southernmost coral reef, was recognised in 1999 when the Lord Howe Island Marine Park was declared.

The island’s isolation and its varied landscape of mountains (over 800 metres), valleys, hills, lowlands and sea cliffs has resulted in a diverse array of habitat types supporting many distinctive flora and fauna assemblages. Vegetation associations range from exposed coastal grasses and heath to luxuriant mossy rainforest shrouded in mist. Today, approximately 75% of the islands original natural vegetation remains intact and undisturbed. The island has recorded 241 species of indigenous plants of which 113 or 47% are found nowhere else in the world. Typical of remote oceanic islands the vertebrate fauna is largely dominated by birds, including the Lord Howe Island Woodhen, which has been the centre of a highly successful captive-breeding programme. There are 11 species of seabirds, which continue to have important breeding populations. Lord Howe Island is reputed to have more seabird species breeding in higher numbers than anywhere else in Australia.

More than 1,600 terrestrial insect species have been recorded with approximately 60% found no where else. The rate of discovery remains high, indicating that numerous endemic species are yet to be discovered.

One of the most spectacular insects is the Lord Howe Island Phasmid, the world’s largest stick insect, thought to be extinct, but rediscovered in recent years on Balls Pyamid, a 550 metre high volcanic stack rising from the sea, 23 km from the island.

In recent year’s cats, pigs and goats have been successfully removed from the island. These important initiatives have greatly reduced the threats to a host of native and endemic plant and animal species. The Lord Howe Island board has also investigated the feasibility of removing rodents from the island, and has been liaising with our Kiwi counterparts in relation to future rat eradication.

The island also has a fascinating history and a culture evolved from its isolation and sea trading links with early whaling vessels and other Pacific nations including New Zealand, Norfolk Island, the wider Pacific Islands and mainland Australia. Today the island is governed by a Board comprising four locally elected islanders and three appointed main-land representatives including the Chairperson.

Another unique factor of the island is its current 400-tourist bed limit. This limit ensures an uncrowded and relaxing atmosphere and less pressure and impact on the islands landscape. The recently adopted Regional Environmental Plan for the island has in consultation with the local community established a housing limit of a maximum of 25 new houses over the next 25 years. Determining this limit has been a difficult and contentious process. Some people believe that no further housing should be permitted while others feel that any capping is too restrictive and limits the housing opportunity for future generations.

Listing the island as a world heritage site has meant different things to different people. A visitor survey (Wu. S, Griffith University, 2001) indicated that four fifths of persons visiting the island were aware of its World Heritage status and this was a contributing factor for visiting the island. Whilst most of the accommodation providers promote the islands World Heritage values, some local people believe that the listing has resulted in another unnecessary layer of bureaucracy. Whilst this would be a minority view, it doesn’t come as a surprise given the islander’s history of isolation and suspicion of ‘inappropriate regulations and government interference’. Balancing some of these entrenched views and values whilst pushing forward with a range of environmental initiatives often provides for some lively debate! We feel we have been relatively successful in this area by working closely with the local community, often on a one to one basis as a means of building relationships and trust.

Certainly from a financial point of view, World Heritage listing has made an enormous contribution in terms funding for environmental initiatives in the areas of weed control, quarantine, ecological regeneration and restoration and visitor interpretation. It has also generated local employment. My position as Manager of Environment and World Heritage is funded through the Commonwealth while significant dollars have been provided through the Commonwealth Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) program. The NSW State government, through its Environmental Trust program has also provi-ded substantial funding in recent years, particularly in the areas of weed control and quarantine.